(Re) Starting My Journey

I was approved for lap band surgery in February 2009.  I went through all the necessary steps, tests, evaluations and paperwork and was attempting to schedule my surgery in March 2009. At this time my insurance company decided that they DID NOT cover this procedure that I was told in February that they did. I appealed and lost. Blue Cross Blue Shield SUCKS!

The following is a list of my health in detail as of February 2009.

Height: 66 Inches 

Weight: 278.1 

BMI: 45.2 

Frame Size: Medium 

Ideal Body Weight : 137.7 

Excess Body Weight: 142.4 

Current Medical Issues: GERD, Hypertension, Hypercholesterolemia, Hyperlipidemia, Metabolic Snydrome, and Impaired Glucose Tolerance. 

My dreams were shattered.  I reached for the stars and was struck by lightning.  A lot has happened since March 2009.   I have moved three times, got a new job, separated from my husband who I am in the process of divorcing and met the true love of my life.

My weight went crazy out of control going up and down with my mood, sickness, boredom, stress finally it reached a high of 298.6.  I was standing on that scale looking down at this number slapping me in the face and I swore I would NOT reach 300 pounds!  I immediately started changing my eating habits, walking daily, cutting out soda, fast food, anything that was tasty and brought me joy was now off limits.  My weight went up and down, I discovered I enjoyed walking (I have walked two 5K marathons since 2012)  I managed to lose 55.8 pounds, bad habits returned and to date I have gained 27.8 pounds of it back.

My love and I were recently discussing my current frustration with my recent weight loss failure and he asked if I had ever thought about lap band surgery.  It caught me off guard and he asked again babe have you ever thought of looking into lap band surgery.   I responded I heard you and told him to hold on a moment, I went and opened a filing cabinet and took out these three dusty folders held together with a rubber band and returned and handed them to him.  He asked what is this, I said open it and see.  He flipped through them and told me how sorry he was that I went through all that and had the carpet pulled from under me in the final hour.

His next statement was "Does your current insurance cover this?" to which I responded yes, I know several people at work who have had it performed.   He said "What are you waiting for?"  My response "I am afraid of getting my hope up again, I could not physically, mentally, emotionally go through being turned down again.

To which he responded, "You will never forgive yourself if you do not try"

I went to the Surgical Weight Control Center seminar tonight to attempt to reach my dream again.

It's Always Best To Start At The Beginning

I originally started this journey in January 2008.  I made the decision to start researching the lap band, a less risky version of the gastric bypass. There is no actual cutting of the stomach, just a band that is placed around the top of your stomach to limit the amount of food that is digested at a time.  After about a year I felt comfortable enough with my research and decision to proceed.

In January 2009 my first step was to attend a seminar at Surgical Weight Control Center, they get your information and a copy of your insurance card and then you spend a couple of hours listening to one of the doctors who performs the surgery talk you through each one.  Educational and somewhat boring because if you are like me you have already researched this to death and know all you can possibly know.

A few days later I got the phone call that my insurance company approved my surgery I would have to come up with a copay of $500.00 and meet some other requirements. Proof of a six month supervised weight loss diet and medical records for 5 years showing my BMI had been over 40.  I had to have blood work performed, a EKG and chest x-ray.  I had to have a psychological evaluation, see a  nutritionist and attend classes on how to properly eat after the procedure was performed.

I was able to complete all the requirements and attend my office consultation by early March, I was cleared for surgery a week later, and my preoperative appointment was on March 18, 2009 and my surgery date was set for April 9, 2009. Everything was perfect and then at the end of March I found a denial letter in my mailbox from Anthem Blood Cross Blue Shield stating they did not and have never covered this procedure. I appealed they denied a second time,  my doctor wrote letters, The staff at the Surgical Weight Control Center did everything they could without success. The only way I was having this surgery was to pay cash upfront or manage to receive financial assistant, neither I was able to do.

I was yet again a failure something I am very use to being.

Madame Tussauds Las Vegas